Sharpening mechanism



Mar. 27, 1923 T. F. WELCH ET A L SHARPENING MECHANISM Filed pct.

INVENTORS moms ATTORNEY y Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

Unirse stares 1,449,47@ PATENT F'FICE.`

THOMAS F. WELCH AND FRANK A. REYNOLDS, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS,BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NONAK STROPPER COMPANY, INC.

sHARrENINe nEcHaNIsi/r.

Application led October 10, 1921. Serial No. 596,840.

To all w 710m if; may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS F. VELCH andFRANK A. REYNOLDS, both vcitizens of the United States of America,residing at Geneva, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sharpening Mechanism, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a sharpening mechanism, having to do moreparticularly with sharpening razors both of the safety type and the oldtype, and is a division, in part, of application filed March 28, 1921,

r Serial No. 456,439.

The principal purpose of the construction set forth in this applicationis to afford a mechanically operated sharpening member of the rotary oroscillatory type, in which a blade is acted upon in a manner similar tothat of a hand stropping operation, where the strop yields and bendsslightly against the pressure of the razor as the latter is drawn acrossit.

A further object is to afford a practical and efficient mechanism thatenables quickly sharpening a razor of any type, and in such a way thatthe edge acquired will be re-` tained for a maximum length of time.

The invention also comprehends further detailed improvements, all ofwhich `,will appear from the following description in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, the novel characteristics being pointed out inthe claims following the specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a mechanism embodying apreferred form of the invention;

FigureJ 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken centrally of themachine and showing a blade in operative engagement with the sharpeningmember, and

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical. sectional view on the line 3 3 ofFigure 1.

The construction shown comprises a housing 1, within which is arranged arazor oscillating means including a spindle 2 to which is attached arazor support 3. The razor support 3 .is open at one lend to receive arazor, which is inserted endwise through an opening 4 in the housingwhen the parts are in the position shown in Figure 3.

The razor support 3 is oscillated by a crank5 fixed upon a sleeve 6which carries a pinion 7, the latter being frictionally engaged with therazor support /3 through a disk 8 of fibrous material such as feltlocated between the pinion 7 and the metal friction disk 9 carried bythe razor support.

The razor sharpening member includes a rotary carrier, preferablyconsisting ofl a drum 10 journalled on a spindle 11, said drumbeingactuated by a gear 12 which is driven from the aforementioned pinion 7through 'an intermediate idler pinion 13, as fully set forth in theco-pending application to which reference has previously been made.

-By turning the voperating crank 5 in one d1rection,it has the effect,initially, of turning the razor support 3 until the razor is engagedwith the sharpening member, and therefore cannot turn any further in thesame direction. Further turning of the operating crank 5 in the samedirection causes rotation of the sharpening member, while the blade isengaged therewith, and upon reversing theJ direction of rotation of thecrank 5, the razor carrier is oscillated until the blade is in itsopposite position in engagement with the sharpening member and thelatter is rotated in the opposite direction to that first described. Theconstruction and operation of the sharpening member, which constitutesthe subject matter of the present application, will nowbe described.

Arranged on the aforementioned drum 10, there is preferably a thicknessof felt or similar resilient material indicated at 14, and 15 is a`thickness of sharpening material, such as leather. The leather or othersharpening material 15 is preferably in the form of an integralcylindrical piece which is attached to the carrier at spaced points,preferably opposite to each other. In the structure shown, the leathercylinder 15 is attached to the felt material at the opposite points 16and 17. The sharpening material may be attached to the drum. or carrierin any suitable manner, as by cementing it to the resilient body 14, andit is of sufficient length to afford a slight looseness between thepoints of attachment so that as the drum is rotated against a blade, afullness or bulge is created in the sharpening leather behind the blade.The result of this is to afford the proper resiliency and iieXibility inthe leather to create a maximum sharpening effect, the manner ofcooperation between the razor and sharpening leather being practicallythe saine as that produced by drawing a razor over a strip of leatherheld manually.

Thile the sharpening material or leather has been described as attachedto the carrier at opposite points, this is not essential, as thecylinder of leather or other sharpening material may be Aattached to thecarrier at only one point, or it may be arranged loosely on the drum orcarrier, so long as the leather cylinder is sufficiently larger than thedrum or carrier to create a bulge or thickness in the leather as thedrum is rotated against a blade.

In order to impart a diagonal action 4between the blade and leatherduring the sharpening operation, the sharpening material or leather 17is provided with a spirally arranged knife engaging portion 18 which ispreferably formed by a groove 19 formed in the exterior surface of theleather and extending spira-lly therearound.

The novel features of the sharpening means herein disclosed areapplicable to many types of sharpening mechanisms, and

the invention is not confined to razor sharpeniiig machines or to theprecise structure set forth, but may be modified in different ways andapplied to mechanisms for sharpening other tools and instruments withoutdepartingl from the underlying features of the improvements as definedby the following claims.

le claim:

l. A sharpening member comprising a rotary carrier, and a cylinder ofsharpening material surrounding and attached to the carrier along linesspaced circumferentially thereof, the sharpening material being freefrom the carrier intermediate said spaced lines of attachment, andhaving sufficient fullness therebetween to afford a slight vbulge in thesharpening material as the carrier is rotated in engagement with ablade.

2. A sharpening member comprising a rotarycarrier, a thickness ofresilient material attached to the carrier, and a thickness ofsharpening material attached to said iesilient material at spacedpoints, the sharpening material being free from the resilient materialbetween said spaced points and of such length as to afford a slightbulge in the sharpening material when the carrier is rotated against ablade.

3. A sharpening member comprising a rotary carrier, a thickness ofresilient material surrounding and attached to the carrier, and athickness of sharpening material surrounding the resilient material andattached thereto at opposite points, the sharpening material being freefrom the resilient material except at such opposite points of attachmentand of such length as to afford a slight bulge in the sharpeningmaterial between said points of attachment when the carrier is rotatedin engagement with a blade.

l. A sharpening member comprising a rotary carrier, and an integralcylindrical piece of sharpening material attached to the carrier atspaced points, the sharpening material having a spiral groove formedexteriorly to afford a spirally arranged knife engaging portion, andbeing free from the carrier intermediate said spaced points ofattachment and of such length as to afford a bulge in the sharpeningmaterial as the carrier is rotated in engagement with the blade.

5. A sharpening member comprising a rotary cylindrical carrier, and acylindrical piece of sharpening material surrounding the carrier andattached thereto along a line extending lengthwise of the carrier, thesharpening material being free from the carrier except along said lineof attachment, and having sufficient fullness to afford a slight bulgeag the carrier is rotated in engagement with a blade.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed oury names.

THOMAS F. WELCH. kFRANK A. REYNOLDS.

